The 2018 Nissan Maxima isn’t just your average sedan. In fact, it’s the perfect vehicle for those drivers who love a refined, performance-oriented ride without spending the big bucks – and U.S. News & World Report agrees. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the Maxima was recently named on the U.S. News & World Report list of the Fastest Cars for the Money in 2018. According to this list, the 2018 Maxima earned an 8.6 out of 10 in the assessment process, making it one of the best-equipped vehicles in its class. Each trim comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that is paired with an Xtronic Continuously Variable…

The Chrysler Pacifica continues to get more and more recognition, the most recent of which came in the form of the “Best Minivan Award” given the New York Daily News, which it received for the second year in a row. Selected from a jury of 12 auto journalists and experts, this award is given for value, design, engineering, innovation, and driving dynamics. The New York Daily News award is just one of many that validates the work of Chrysler engineers. According to Chrysler, the Pacifica was the most-awarded minivan of 2016 and 2017, and it appears that 2018 will follow suit. New features include things like the standard SafetyTec Group,…

Auto shows offer manufacturers a chance to impress crowds of critics and potential customers with memorable stunts and big reveals, but all too often those automakers tend to confuse tacky gimmicks with convincing spectacle. Luckily for all us Nissan lovers, this was not the case regarding the Nissan LEAF virtual reality experience that made its way to the New York Auto Show. Nissan used virtual and augmented reality Microsoft Hololens goggles to expose and explore all the ins-and-outs of the Nissan Leaf’s integrated Intelligent Mobility system. Wearers of the Hololens would see blue rays of light beaming out before them on a realer-than-real-life floating menu. Just by moving their eyes,…

Last year, Nissan took a big step forward in their all-electric campaign by announcing their entry into the Formula E racing circuit, becoming the first Japanese automaker to join the all-electric league. At this year’s Geneva Auto Show, Nissan finally unveiled their vehicle for the fifth season of Formula E: the Gen 2 EV. The Gen 2’s design is completely inspired by the Doppler Effect, from its color scheme to its powertrain. The Doppler Effect is the precise term for the way sound or light waves fade in or out when they travel past you at a high speed, similar to the way an ambulance’s siren decreases in volume as…

Zebras might not be able to change their stripes, but the Dodge Challenger sure can. Dodge recently announced it will be rolling out a retro-styled Dodge Challenger with racing stripes — the next best thing to a 1970s-era Challenger. The specialized design, known as the Shakedown Package, features a thick, black central stripe with parallel-running stripes that gradually thin out to one side. All the stripes in the new 2018 model are black, marking the only major aesthetic change from the pony car’s 1971 muse. The original ’71 model featured a single red racing stripe in the middle. The new Dodge Challenger Shakedown thankfully updated its tech since the 1970s….

Car and Driver’s 10Best list has been around for 36 years, but the magazine branched out last year to a more specific list: the 10Best Trucks and SUVs list. The award-winning Chrysler Pacifica minivan earned a spot on that list last year in the Van category. Just as the list enters its second year, the Pacifica has also entered its second year ranked on that list. The Car and Driver judges select winners based on three factors: how much value the truck or SUV offers, how well it fulfills its own mission, how much engagement it offers its drivers. It is no surprise then that the Chrysler Pacifica has dominated…

Last month, Nissan announced a partnership with Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and Sumitomo Electric Industries. The goal of this partnership focuses on electric vehicle power. Specifically, the companies are testing charging electric vehicles via remote control. According to Nissan, the study will involve 60 electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles owned by customers or by KEPCO. These 60 cars will receive EV switches, a very specific technology developed by Sumitomo and KEPCO. Together, the three companies will enable remote-control charging for these 60 electrically powered vehicles and collect data. What is the point of this project? Nissan reports that the companies are hoping to eventually use electric vehicles as power…

Nissan is calling its latest Murano model the “most social car” that the brand has ever designed. But what is it about the 2018 Nissan Murano interior that makes it so social? It’s all about the design. According to Nissan, the center console has been expanded, which encourages interaction between passengers up front and in the back. Rear seat passengers have a better view of the road ahead (just no backseat driving!), which also helps conversation flow more smoothly. That center console also includes two USB ports—one for front seat passengers and one for those in the rear—as well as an 8-inch multi-touch color center display. Nissan calls the interior…

Last month, WardsAuto released its annual 10 Best Engines list, which examines all available engines on the market and determines the best in terms of performance and efficiency. For 2018, the Chrysler Pacifica’s 3.6-liter Pentastar® eHybrid engine earned a spot on the list for the second year in a row. The Pacifica’s plug-in hybrid propulsion system was groundbreaking when it debuted—and it still is today. It makes the Pacifica the most efficient minivan in the world, with an EPA rating of 84 mpgE.* With this award-winning engine, the Pacifica Hybrid can offer 33 miles of pure electric range and a total of 570 miles between fill-ups at the gas station….

New vehicle buyers are always trying to determine which vehicle is the best in a given segment, which makes it all the more useful when a publication like Consumer Guide Automotive does the legwork for them. Consumer Guide’s annual “Best Buy Award” list was revealed in December, and it was made clear that no brand is better at providing value in the compact crossover and subcompact crossover categories than Nissan. The 2018 Nissan Rogue was named the “Best Buy” for compact crossovers, and the Rogue Sport was named “Best Buy” for subcompact crossovers. Both earned plaudits for fuel economy, interior refinement, and passenger versatility, as well as for the exceptional…